


The Price of Magic

by Ryukisath



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Albus Dumbledore, Bad Voldemort, Heir Harry, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Male Slash, Other, Smart Harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:26:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23126992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryukisath/pseuds/Ryukisath
Summary: What would life be like if Harry had a taste of a caring relationship before he started at Hogwarts? How much more good could he do if he knew what was truly expected of him? At what cost will the wizarding world change?
Relationships: Harry Potter/OMC, Harry Potter/Other(s)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 98





	1. Dear Harry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note, for now this is just a one-shot of sorts. First time actually putting my writing out to the public. For now, I have the idea for the story I want to create. There are some holes where I cannot decide how to proceed for later "years" of Harry's life. There is no beta for this, so I do apologize if any bit is seen as rambling, but I do hope the point gets across.
> 
> Fair warning, this will be slash if it does continue. Don't like, I'm sorry. It's just the world I envision.

This year, this year was going to be different. This would be the year that a neglected and abused child would go invisible. No longer would he be tormented by the _family_ who never wanted him. He would escape their ire by keeping his head down and out of their hair as much as he could.

No longer would he be his cousin's punching bag while at school, or his uncle's while at home. This year would be different for Harry Potter. He could feel it.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 6, 2010 started just like any other day: Harry being woken up at 6 am by his aunt to make a full English breakfast for Dudley and Vernon. The amount of food that is eaten in this household is astounding. However, what is even more astounding is the amount of food that is made and eaten by only two members of the household. Just one week of breakfast foods alone amounted to 5 lbs of bacon and sausages and 5 loaves of bread were shared between father and son. It is no wonder why Dudley is in the top 99 percentile in weight for his age or why he looks like a miniature clone of his father Vernon.

Not only does Dudley get to eat whenever or however he wants, he is also spoiled in whatever he fancies. He has a second bedroom dedicated to his cast off clothes and toys he has either lost interest in or broke in some way or other. Very rarely do any of his more recent clothes end up in Harry's possession, since he is still using clothing from when Dudley was 6 years old.

Standing at only 4 feet and barely weighing 50 pounds, Harry has always been picked on by his family members. He never even knew his name until he started school. And he only learned his name then because a concerned teacher approached his aunt to ask if he had trouble at home since he did not respond to Harry. Ever since then, he has never forgotten his name while at school in fear of what would happen again if he brought attention to himself from outsiders.

"Boy, we better not get any phone calls from your school today. We want a normal school year for once and don't you dare cause trouble for Dudley again this year. If you bring this house any attention at all this year, you will not even live to regret it. Do you hear me?" Vernon told Harry sternly as they were finishing breakfast.

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now you better be ready to leave for school in the next 5 minutes or so help you. Pet, is there anything you want me to pick up for you on the way home from work today?"

Petunia glanced at her husband after finishing her half of a grapefruit, "Just pick up whatever you want for dinner tonight Vernon."

"Alright dear. Well, I will see you later on tonight. Hope you have a great day today. Let's go Dudley, time to see you off to school."  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Welcome to the first day of Year 6. My name is Mr. Ben Price and I will be your English teacher for this year. I realize my accent will give away where I am from, and yes I am from the United States. I am currently on a work visa exchange program with another teacher named Mr. Kyle Byrne. This year, he and I have created a little project for our classes to work on in order to create international relationships with other children your age. Mr. Byrne and I will set up each student with a pen-pal in each class.

"These letters will not be graded for content but rather that letters have been written. Grading for these letters will merely be that everyone is to write and receive at least one letter a month and delivered to the post office by Mr. Byrne or myself. However, if any student brings him or myself a letter they feel is inappropriate, then the offending student will be properly punished. Now, if there are any issues in getting your letters done in time, you will need to let me know so we can work together to fix the problem.

"America starts school a couple weeks before we do, so I already have your first letter. It is just going to be the standard introduction you would establish with a new relation. We will spend the first few days of classes going over how to properly write a letter. Then in a weeks time, I want you to turn in your letters so we can mail them out. After this first month, you will then be expected to have your letter ready to send a week after you receive one. Any questions before I pass out your letters?"

No one raised a hand, but anyone looking in could tell the entire class was excited at the prospect of interacting with other children from the US. However, none were more excited than Harry. Finally, there was a chance to start fresh with someone who does not terrorize him daily, or is scared off by Dudley and his gang. Trying to not get his hopes up, but Mr. Price does seem nice enough. Only time will tell if Harry can trust his teacher or not, at least for now he will still try to be as invisible as possible.

"Alright, since there are no questions let me begin passing out your letters. When I call your name, please raise your hand so I can start to learn who you are and let me know how you would like to be addressed in class. Maddison Sutton?" asked Ben as a hand near the back left corner of the room went up. Each name brought a new face for him to learn and he was excited to start his first year teaching in England.

Now, the one name he was waiting for was a "special case" that he was warned about during the teacher meetings at the beginning of August. Harry Potter was mentioned more than once in regards to how different he was from in class and at recess. In class he was best seen as being withdrawn and quiet, however at recess he was quite the troublemaker. Just last year he was found up on the roof of the cafeteria and it brought attention to the staff how much closer he needed to be watched. And one way he could think to do so, was to ensure that Harry's pen-pal was his own little brother, Sam.

"Harry Potter?" Ben looked about the room to try to find the child in question. It took him longer than it should have to notice a small hand, too small compared to his classmates, raised in the back right of the classroom. Going over to Harry, Ben could not help but notice how he looked as if he was drowning in his clothing. Crouching down next to Harry's desk, Ben gave him a smile. "Hello Mr. Potter, how are you doing today? And how would you like to be addressed: Harry or Mr. Potter?"

"I am well thank you. Please call me Harry." Harry barely spoke above a whisper and Ben had to strain to hear him, despite how close he was to Harry.

"Glad to hear it Harry. Now, I have a very special letter for you. This letter is actually from my younger brother in America. His name is Sam and I think you two will get along quite well. However, he can be a little bit of a troublemaker at times, so if he says ANYTHING inappropriate, please let me know and I will be sure to talk to him about proper behavior. Alright?"

Ben then handed the letter to Harry and went on with the rest of the class. However, all Harry could focus on was the first letter ever addressed to him instead of his guardians. For once, Harry actually had something for just him to own. Lightly tracing the front of the envelope with his hands, a small smile appeared on Harry's lips.

Samuel Price  
Eliot School  
16 Charter Street  
Boston, MA 02113

Harry Potter  
Corwalles Junior School  
Berkshire Road, Surrey GU15 4DR  
England

With unsure hands Harry opened his letter, hoping that this was not actually a joke.

Dear Harry,

My name is Sam and I am from Boston, Massachusetts. I am currently 10 years old and the youngest in my family. My older brother is named Benjamin, but he hates being called that so I do it all the time to annoy him 😁. I actually live in a town called Cambridge with my parents and go to school in Boston, however not many people outside of my state actually know of any towns besides Boston.

I like to read, play sports, and play video games. My favorite genre of books are fantasy worlds that deal with magic and dragons. I get lost in the pages of every book I read, imagining a world where the characters live and go on adventures. My newest obsession is a book that was published a couple decades ago: Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. It's the first book in the Dragonlance chronicles and I love it!

Whenever I am not reading books in our bay window, I am usually out playing soccer with my friends. Otherwise, I can be found playing the Legend of Zelda in my room before bed.

What are some of your favorite books to read, sports to play, or any video games? Also, what kind of subjects do you learn at school? Here we cover the basics of math, English, history, science, art, music, gym, and geography. My favorite classes are definitely math and science, but my brother always pouts when I tell him as such. How about yourself?

Anyways, I hope to hear from you soon. If you want to get in touch sooner than our classes require, just let my brother know (he is your teacher after all) and maybe we can exchange letters more frequently.

Your pen-pal  
Sam

Still not believing that this was real, Harry had to read his letter a few times just to allow him to know it was not a dream. With a small smile, Harry carefully folded his letter away and silently waited for class to truly begin with Mr. Price. This year is definitely going to be different and for once, Harry was excited for what the school year would bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you have it. The first chapter looking into my mind for an AU of Harry Potter.
> 
> I cannot decide if I want to treat his school year as being seen in the forms of letters back and forth with his pen-pal. Possibly have some real life moments at home and school with his teacher. Or just do the letters until winter break when his teacher goes back home to celebrate with family and get back to "real life" at that point.
> 
> Another thing I'm debating on is monogamous or harem, but like I said that will be for later years of Harry's life. He will not have a harem while just starting school...that is just wrong on so many levels. No matter how much love and care he deserves, a harem that young is not for me.
> 
> Also, I have decided to change the timeline a little bit. Instead of Harry being born in 1980, I've transposed it later to 2000 because I want to see a new world where technology is more prevalent in the Muggle world. And hopefully with that presence, it may start to trickle into the Magical World. What do you think? Leave a comment below.


	2. Pen Pals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Harry learn a little bit more about each other exchanged through their letters until Holiday break happens in December.

Dear Sam, 9/10/2010

I live in Surrey and I am also 10 years old. I have no immediate family, but I do live with my Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and Cousin Dudley. I have lived with them ever since I could remember.

I do enjoy reading, but I am far too uncoordinated to play any sports. I also have never actually played any video games. I have seen my cousin play them on occasion, but he tends to get upset with them rather quickly when he dies or loses.

I also enjoy reading fantasy stories, just imagining what life would be like in a different world, away from here. I once got to read The Hobbit and I could easily imagine what it was like to grow up on the Shire. The amount of food that everyone shared, the adventure Bilbo went on, and the games all the children played, I just wish it could be real.

To be honest, I have not been able to really read all that much lately. The last time I was able to read for fun was last year in the library at school. However, my teacher found out about me reading in the library instead of out at recess and I was no longer allowed to go to the library outside of class. From then on I had to spend time outside during recess, where my cousin rules with his gang.

Our subjects at school include: English, maths, science, art, languages, geography, history, music, and physical education. My favorite subjects are usually science and maths, but this year English has actually been added to the list. Mr. Price does not call on me to speak up in class; but he does stop by everyone's desk each day to see how their day is going and if we have any questions regarding the material. Usually, my other teachers just call on us to speak up in class, even if we do not want to and it makes me uncomfortable to have people noticing me.

What was it like growing up with a sibling so much older than yourself? My cousin is a month older than me, so we have always been in the same grade. Were there expectations for you to live up to because of your brother or were you not supposed to outshine his past achievements?

I'm glad that we get to send each other letters. Cannot wait to hear from you again Sam.

Your pen-pal,

Harry

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Harry, 10/8/2010

I am sorry to hear that you don't read as much as you used to, I'll try to see if I can either mail you a copy of my favorite book or have my brother bring it back with him after winter break. I have not been able to read The Hobbit yet, but it is definitely on my to read list.

Why did you get in trouble last year regarding the library? If you were just in there to read quietly instead of playing outside, I cannot imagine why they would punish you for that. Does it have to do with your cousin? If that's the case, why do your aunt and uncle not step in to stop that behavior?

Growing up with Ben was great. He helped teach me a lot with English and reading comprehension. He also was the one to help me learn to read. 'I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam I am.' To be honest, I think he chose that book to help me because of my name. I do love my brother, so it was time well spent.

And to answer your other question, no I never had to grow up with any expectations on me from being his little brother. He was always the first one I told about any achievements I had at school. He's actually my biggest cheerleader, other than my parents. But do you have to censor your achievements in order for your cousin to not be tossed aside or do you get in trouble if you outshine him? I'm sorry if I'm asking too personal of questions, you can tell me to shove it if I'm getting too nosey. I won't be offended.

I hope you don't tell Ben that he is your favorite teacher because I will not be able to deal with his big head over winter break if you do 😉. What kind of food do you eat in England? I assume we have different kinds of candy from one another. I enjoy all different kinds of food so I am really curious what you typically eat over there.

Anything you want to ask about me is fair game. My life is an open book Harry, and I'm looking forward to getting to know you better. I'm happy we got to become pen-pals as well. Can't wait to hear from you again!

Your friend,

Sam  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Sam, 11/1/2010

I'm happy to hear you enjoy us being pen-pals as well. You're definitely my first friend. Last year, I got in trouble in the library because my cousin found out I was hiding there instead of being on the playground. He approached me and caused a scene to get us kicked out of the library and have our access revoked unless visiting during class time with a teacher present. Of course my cousin told his parents it was my fault when I got home from school.

I may not be able to share much from my home life, I'm not really supposed to talk about it. Essentially, my cousin can do no wrong. Anything that can and has gone wrong is blamed on me. It's all I've ever known, so it's normal and nothing to worry about. Also, I used to try really hard in school but I got in trouble after my first report card. Dudley did not do as well as I did so I was commanded to not outshine him. While in school, I have to make sure I do poorly on tests and assignments so I don't get higher grades than him.

It's actually kind of hard to do poorly in English this year. I actually want to try hard, but if I do then I'm going to get in trouble at home, but I don't want to disappoint Mr. Price. I'm worried to go to him because I think he'll ask too many questions. I need to stay invisible Sam. I have to stay invisible. Please don't bring it up to your brother. Please!

I've never heard of that children's book before. Is it a normal book to read in America when you're growing up and learning how to read? What is it about? And why green eggs and ham? That does not sound like it tastes good.

Over here, I guess we have some of the same food as you would. Our typical breakfast includes: eggs, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms, and toast and marmalade. Some people actually have baked beans for breakfast as well. Dudley and uncle do not like it as much so we typically only have it when Aunt Marge visits. For lunch, we'll usually have sandwiches, crisps, and maybe some fruit. For dinner, my family will usually have some variety of meat and various vegetables. More often than not, we'll have steak pies and then every Sunday we'll have pot roast. What is typical for you to eat? Do you have to cook meals for your family?

Cannot wait to here from you again.

Your friend,

Harry

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Harry, 11/29/2010

That makes me really happy that you consider me your first friend Harry. The stories by Dr. Seuss are actually used a lot to help children read because they are really easy and very silly. I’m not sure which book is my favorite: Green Eggs and Ham or Cat in the Hat. Cat in the Hat had two very funny troublemakers named Thing 1 and Thing 2.

Over here, my family likes to make chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, sausages, and some form of eggs for breakfast. My favorite kind of eggs are scrambled. For lunch, it depends on what they are offering at school. We can have anything ranging from cold sandwiches to pizza and chicken fingers. For dinner, it depends on how busy the day has been. My mom works late on Tuesday nights, so my dad will usually cook dinner for us then. It is either raviolis or burgers on those nights. All the other nights will usually be some kind of chicken for dinner: chicken casserole, homemade breaded chicken, chicken wrapped around stuffing, or chicken soup with rice. Once a month we’ll usually have boiled dinner: pork shoulder, potatoes, and carrots.

I’ve never learned how to cook actually. I’m only 10 years old so it’s not on my list of chores. If I wanted to learn how to cook, I think my parents would let me but it would have to be supervised cooking. Does your family require you to cook at home? If you are, how long have you been doing it?

I need to ask Harry, is everything alright at home? It’s not actually normal to not be allowed to talk about your home life or the fact everything seems to be blamed on you. I’m sorry you have to deal with that at home. It’s not fair that everything Dudley does wrong gets blamed on you.

What happens at recess with Dudley? Are the teachers not on the playground when everyone is out enjoying recess? What about all the other kids that are out there? Can you go to my brother and ask him to help you get access to the library again during recess? It just is not fair that Dudley was the one to cause the scene for you but you also got barred from the library outside of class time.

Are you sure you don’t want me to ask my brother for help? He is your teacher, and an adult. He may not act like it all the time at home, but he does care for all his students. You should hear how he gushes about all of you in his class. I’m sure my brother can help you if you just let him help you Harry.

By the time you get this next letter, winter break will be starting. Are you at least looking forward to that? Does your family go anywhere for it? Do they visit family? My brother is coming home for Christmas and then we will all be visiting other family in New York for a few days at our family home. We do it every year and it’s always fun to see our entire family.

I can’t wait to hear from you again Harry. I will always be here for you if you need any help. I know I’m far away right now, but my big brother is there. If you need anything, please ask him.

Your friend,

Sam  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  


“Good morning class! I hope you’re all excited for the upcoming winter break. Are there any fun plans for the break like going away somewhere or spending time with family?” Ben asked his class while looking at each kid. They all had such smiles on their face. Well, all but one had a smile on their face. Ben could not help but let his gaze linger on Harry in the back corner.

The term has not been the easiest for Harry. He seemed so excited to exchange letters with his brother, but all of his other assignments and tests were worrisome. Ben knew Harry knew the material and should have had no issue in class, but it was like he was trying to not do well and it did not make sense. No matter how many phone calls he made home to talk to Sam about Harry, he never got any answers to his questions. He tried to talk to the principal about him, but he was told Harry was always like this at school. He’s a troubled child with behavioral issues at home, at least according to his family.

There was something wrong, but there was currently nothing Ben could do. He had to wait and try to talk to Sam about him and get his dad to help with getting answers. Once he had Sam in front of him, at least he could read his body language to help him steer the conversation in the right direction. Once winter break was over, he would try everything he could to help Harry.

“Yes, Mr. Taylor?” Ben asked as he shook himself out of his thoughts. Class still has to go on after all.

“My family plans on visiting France for the holidays. It’s the first time for us to visit. My aunt just moved there this past year and wants all the family there to experience Christmas in her new home.”

“That is wonderful Mr. Taylor. I am glad to hear it. Anyone else with exciting plans?” Ben had to look around the room again, but his gaze still ended up on Harry no matter how much he tried to slouch down to not have anyone notice him.

“All right, now that we all know each other’s plans, what do you say we have some arts and crafts time to make some homemade holiday cards for your pen-pals? I am sure they will love them. Also, at the end of class I will collect your cards and your final letters before break. They will be a little delayed when we come back next term, but I will be hand delivering them to Mr. Byrne while I’m back home. I’ll even try to sneak back some candy that we don’t carry here. And we can have a day just trying them to see what we think about the differences in taste.” Ben could not help but smile at all the eager nods he received from his kids.

As class time continued on and all the children were making their cards, he could not help but stop at Harry’s desk near the end of class. “Hi Harry, how is your day going today? Are you excited for winter break?”

Still as shy as ever, Harry glances at Ben quickly before going back to his card making. Speaking barely above a whisper, “Hi Mr. Price. Today is fine and I guess I’m a little sad that winter break is coming.”

Barely able to stop his shock from showing, Ben tried to puzzle over why someone would be sad about getting a break from school. “Why is that Harry? Is there something you want to talk to me about?”

Before Harry could answer, the bell for the end of the day rang and the principal showed up at the door. “Mr. Price, don’t forget there is a last minute staff meeting before you leave for the day.”

Harry just looked at Ben and quietly said, “No Mr. Price. Hope you have a great break and say hi to Sam for me with my letter.” And with that, Harry quickly gathered his things and placed the card and letter on Ben’s desk along with the other students.

_Well, that could certainly have gone better_ Ben thought before slightly shaking his head and heading back to his desk. Something was definitely wrong with the way Harry was acting and how everyone stated he was a troublemaker at home. Everything Ben observed seemed to prove the opposite. Hopefully Sam could provide more insight to Harry when he finally got home for break. Next term, Ben was going to help Harry as much as he could. As long as he survived this final teacher meeting, man they were boring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if the end of the chapter seems a little rushed, I had debated on this entire chapter being just letters back and forth between Harry and Sam. I was not sure if I wanted to have the final day of class scene in this chapter or the next to then break further into Harry's point of view. But I think it would make more sense to keep that scene in this chapter and then next chapter be the introduction of the Price family and the following be Harry's break over winter.
> 
> Would you prefer to have dates added to the letters in the chapters? As it stands for now, the way I see it is letters are received about 10 business days after they are mailed. They are mailed on a Friday and then replies are sent 3 weeks later. Would you prefer more flushing out of the time or do you enjoy the faster time line, especially since Harry is only 10 and unaware of his magic?
> 
> What do you guys think so far? Comments are always appreciated. Hope to hear from you.


	3. Little Whinging

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. Please take note, I changed the original chapter 3 to this chapter (Little Whinging instead of Chapter 4 Price Home)
> 
> I am so sorry it's taken a while to post another chapter, but work has left me drained and my muse left me for a bit. I essentially have the entire story plotted out, it has just been a little difficult to get the words to reflect the story I want told. Please bear with me, I do not intend to abandon this story but actually finish it. It may just take a little longer for me, but I will try to write more frequently.

Winter hit England hard this year. Ever since school has let out, the skies have been dark and grey during the day and pitch black at night. The atmosphere definitely matched the current mood in a certain house in Surrey. Since winter break started 2 days ago, Harry has not seen the outside of his room. Granted, he has not even been conscious all that long in the past two days. Not since he came home to his Uncle reading a letter from his English teacher.

Harry knows his English teacher meant well by inquiring about his recent change in behavior at school, however his Uncle did not share his sentiment. Ever since he could remember, Harry was told to never bring attention to himself out in public. Do not do better than Dudley in anything, do not speak to anyone, and do not do anything that could draw attention to yourself. He tried his hardest to remain inconspicuous, but this year was different. This year, someone actually noticed him and seemed to care for his well-being, both academically and personally. However, that brought more trouble home for him than he has had since he first started school.

Mr. Price sent home a progress report halfway through the term congratulating the Dursley’s on raising a well-mannered child who did very well in his class. However, Dudley got his progress report at the same time and was critiqued pretty harshly for acting out in class and not doing any of the assigned work. That week, was the first one in a long while during the school year Harry had to miss classes after being _spoken to_ by his uncle.

Ever since then, Harry withdrew mentally from his classes and stopped doing as well as he did at the beginning of the term. Of course, Mr. Price tried to engage Harry in participating in class, but it was a losing battle. Sadly, Harry is now paying for it over break since he no longer has to be seen outside of the house.

Finally coming back to the world of waking, Harry takes stock of his body and does not notice anything out of place or any residual pain from his _conversation_ with Uncle Vernon. Unsure what time it is, Harry just waits until his aunt knocks on his door to get him to make breakfast for his relatives to start their day.

After what felt like hours, which may truly have only been minutes, there is a rapping on the door and a lock sliding open as his aunt yells “Boy, time to make breakfast. Hurry up, I had to do your work for the past 2 days and we need to get ready to leave on vacation in a few hours.”

Harry rouses himself up to pay attention to his aunt and makes his way out of his cupboard to start making breakfast for his family. Every bone and muscle aches in his body, but it’s nothing he’s not used to. Harry recalls his 6th birthday when he had to make breakfast with what felt like a broken hand; now, he just carries on like normal and begins to make the standard English breakfast for his relatives.

As Harry gets breakfast started for the day, Vernon walks in to the kitchen and glances disdainfully at Harry. It is hard to tell if his contempt is because Harry is back to normal after only a couple days, or just the usual hatred for the boy. “Pet, is everything all packed for our trip?”

Petunia pecks her husband’s cheek and says, “Of course dear. It took a little longer than I had hoped, but now that the freak is up and about we can send him off to that batty neighbor of ours and actually enjoy our vacation.” Petunia sends Harry a scathing look before exiting the kitchen to go wake up her darling Dudley.

“Now listen boy, we are going on a normal vacation without you around. You are to behave while at the bat’s home and do not cause her any trouble. No one else on our block is willing to take you in to babysit, so no funny business. Once you finish making breakfast, go back to your room and wait until we’re ready to bring you over.”

Harry continues on finishing breakfast and just thinking about spending winter break away from his family like he does every year. Every year Vernon tells him to behave while he spends time with Mrs. Figg, and every year Harry gets covered in cat hair and brings it back into this house only to be scolded at by Petunia for dirtying her animal-free home. No matter how painful it is when he returns home, it is always worth it to be away from them for 2 weeks 24/7.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  


Harry knocks on Mrs. Figg’s door as his family starts to drive away, not even waiting to see if he gets into the house. The entire morning, Harry was subjected to taunts by Dudley and how they were going to Vienna and touring the Mediterranean Seaboard. Harry was obviously jealous of the amount of sun they would get and being able to actually see the sea for the first time ever, but he would make the most of it with Mrs. Figg…and all of her cats.

After what felt like 15 minutes, but in reality may have only been at most 5 minutes, Mrs. Figg finally opened the door and the overwhelming scent of cats reached Harry’s nose. “Oh dear, don’t want you to catch your death of cold. Come in, come in and get warm. Have your relatives already gone?”

“Good morning, Mrs. Figg. Yes Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley have already left for their vacation. They wanted to thank you for your hospitality and they felt awful that they could not stay and chat, but they were running late for their flight to Austria. They wanted me to remind you that they should be back after the New Year around the 4th of January.” Harry could barely keep the contempt out of his voice as he spoke to Mrs. Figg and the lies surrounding his family, but he had to make sure the stay was as comfortable as it could be sharing a room with 20 cats and Mrs. Figg.

“No worries dear. Now, you look exhausted. Why don’t you toss your bags in the usual guest room and take a nap while I get a snack ready to tide you over until dinner?”

Harry nods his assent and grabs his bags to bring upstairs to the guest room. It’s hard to walk through the room and up the stairs without almost stepping on a cat and tripping while trying to NOT step on a cat. He makes it to the bedroom without issue and promptly drops his bag near the closet and quickly turns down the bed to get any loose cat hairs off the covers before he attempts to fall asleep.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  


It’s dark by the time Harry finally starts to come back to the world of the living as he stretches out on the bed. It has been a long time since he last slept on an actual mattress rather than a pad meant for a baby’s crib. It takes him a few moments to finally get up enough energy to actually leave the bed and go wash up before dinner.

As Harry descends the stairs, he cannot help but think he hears other voices coming from Mrs. Figg’s living room and seeing her kneeling at her fireplace. After he rubs his eyes and tries to look again, Mrs. Figg is smiling at him from the bottom of the stairs.

“Did you have a good rest Harry? I placed the snacks I made earlier into the fridge so you can actually have it as dessert after dinner. Tonight for dinner, I made salmon with sugar snap peas and a lemon-herb couscous. After that, we’ll just settle down out here on the couch and look at one of my photo albums. How does that sound?”

Knowing better than to disagree, Harry reluctantly nods his head. Still, looking at all the photos of every cat Mrs. Figg has ever owned is better than being back at 4 Privet Drive. As they sit down to eat dinner, Harry cannot help but notice he still gets a smaller portion of salmon than everyone else in the room. It seems as though Mrs. Figg cooked a lot of fish, however it appears to be evenly distributed around Harry in the various cat dishes and very little on his plate. At least, it’s more than he usually gets for food from the Dursley’s.

After dinner, they go to the parlor to settle on the couch and eat dessert and browse through the first of many photo albums. But, just as Mrs. Figg brings out the album there is a rather incessant knocking on her front door. She looks at the clock before passing the album to Harry, “Alright Harry dear, just sit tight and I will be right back.” At Harry’s nod, she makes her way to the door to find out who could be calling at this hour. “Hello, how can I help you tonight? Wait, what are you doing? What are you pointing at me? HELP! HE…”

Harry startles at Mrs. Figg’s yelling. He jumps off the couch and drops his untouched plate and the album to the floor. Before he can even utter a word he sees a blinding green light coming from the front entryway and hears a thud, as if a body fell to the ground. It sparks a memory for Harry, but before he can ponder on it he feels something connect with the back of his head and he crumples to the floor like a sack of bricks.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“999, what’s your emergency?”

“I think there was a break-in at the house next door. The street lights went off about 15 minutes ago and I heard someone screaming for help not too long after that. I called as soon as I heard the screams and have not gone over next door just yet.”

“What is your name? And where are you located ma’am?”

“My name is Amelia Jones. 16 Wisteria Walk in Little Whinging. My neighbor lives at 20 Wisteria Walk.”

“Alright Ms. Jones. We will be sending over an officer right away. Do you need me to stay on the phone until they arrive? Are you alright?”

“No, no I’m fine. No one has come to my house, I’m just worried for my neighbor. How long do you think it will take?”

“Officer should arrive in about 10 minutes. Are you sure you’re alright Ms. Jones?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Thank you. I will wait for the officer.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the night continued on, Little Whinging got busier and busier. The first officers, Davies and Edwards, arrived at 16 Wisteria Walk to talk with Ms. Jones and continued on their way to the neighbor’s home. As Davies approached the house, she found the door wide open and what looked like a pool of blood in the entryway. Glancing at Edwards, they both nod and make a move to the open door.

As they passed the threshold of the entryway, they were greeted by 20 pairs of eyes sitting in the dark. All of Mrs. Figgs’ cats were spread over the parlor room just sitting and waiting. Not a single cat moved as the officers approached. As they looked around the home, they noticed there was a plate of food on the ground next to an album, and more blood pooled on the table and floor and quite a lot smeared on the wall.

Barely able to hold down her nausea, Officer Davies turns to her partner and asks, “What the hell happened here?! There’s a giant pool of blood in the entryway, more blood on the ground and table, as well as all over the wall. How many people were here tonight? Was it a burglary gone wrong or just a planned homicide? There are no bodies anywhere nearby. Should we go further in or wait for forensics? If someone is still alive, we need to make sure. Right?”

Still reeling from the shock of seeing so much blood, Edwards barely glances at Davies and nods his head. “Hello? Is there anyone still in the house? We’re here to help.” Edwards starts to move forward and go toward the kitchen while Davies heads towards the stairs. There’s nothing of note in the kitchen other than a platter of cake sitting on the counter with a clean knife next to it. However, Davies is not as lucky as Edwards.

“Bloody hell!”

“Davies! Are you ok?” Edwards quickly leaves the kitchen and makes his way to the stairs and sees Davies just standing there shaking her head.

“I’m alright, just had a bit of a fright. I opened the first door and 3 sets of eyes were just staring at me as another cat brushed past me. Just a little worked up from all this blood. There’s two other rooms up here for us to check. I’ll take the far one, you can take the one on the left.”

They split up again, but nothing seems to be out of the ordinary in any of the rooms upstairs. It does not make sense to either of them. With that much blood in the entryway and the living room, there should have been some evidence of a struggle or bodies strewn about.

“Alright Edwards, I guess we just have to call it in and wait for the team to try to find out what happened.”

As Edwards calls it in, they make their way out of the home and wait outside for the team to come in. As it stands, they were expecting this to take a few hours before they could go home…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. After being gone for so long between updates I just had to end it on a bit of a cliff hanger. I was meaning to extend the chapter a little more, but I couldn't find the right way to tie it all in between the scenes.
> 
> There will be a lot of OCs in this story I feel like, at least at the beginning. It is mainly to give them an identity instead of generic "Police Officer 1 and Police Officer 2".
> 
> Would you rather longer chapters (this one may have ended up double the size) or would you prefer it as the chapters have been written for about 2-3000 words per chapter? I know I am fine reading just about any sized chapter, as long as it flows properly into each other and shouldn't have been broken up at all due to being completely different ideas.
> 
> What did Harry see? What happened to the bodies? Where did all the blood come from? Why does Figg have SOOOOO many cats?!? Some things we may never find out, but I hope it at least keeps you enthralled a little bit to find out in the next chapter.


	4. Price Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Change of Point of View, realized as I started writing this fanfiction that I may flop between at least 2 points of view, maybe 3 (most likely 2). The two points of view will be Harry and Ben. I may start to include Sam, but to be honest I feel like touching upon the Harry and Ben dynamic as they are the first two characters we meet.
> 
> (This is a note just newly added 11/30/20, sorry I have been away so long, this is not the newest chapter. Chapter 3: Little Whinging is. I may still include another chapter before this one if I feel it flows better to then go into this, or to do the next chapter idea after this one, to keep the cliff hanger from Chapter 3 going).

The first snowfall of the season came just in time for a white Christmas. It brought forth a sense of magical wonderment, as if it was bringing an end to the year and making way for something new. With the fresh snowfall gently covering the trees around one large manor, a family was just beginning to wake for the day. Excitement for what the day would bring was palpable in the air. Today, the absent heir would return for the holidays and they would travel to their ancestral home to spend Yule with the family.

The morning sun began to shine through the window of the uppermost bedroom. The rays of light illuminating two dark haired figures in the household, cuddling one another in peaceful slumber. As the light gently settled on the larger male, he could not help but stir and bury his face further in his wife’s hair. Her tresses began to tickle his nose, and unfortunately he let out an abrupt sneeze that shocked his wife to alertness. She looked about with wild eyes, hair in disarray trying to find the source of the disturbance. With unfocused eyes finding no intruders in the room, they finally settled on her husband’s apologetic face.

She lightly glared at her husband as she asked, “Was it really necessary to sneeze directly in my ear, William? That was not the best wake-up call I’ve ever had honey.”

“I’m sorry Gwen, but I did not want to wake up just yet and went to snuggle further into you, and well you know how sensitive I am to ticklish sensations. I promise I will make it up to you today. How about I go and make us all some breakfast? I know you love my cinnamon French toast.” He said with a smirk on his face, hoping his wife would let him off without too much trouble.

“Fine, but you get to try to wake our son today. Last time I tried to do it, I somehow ended up soaking wet and thrown out of his room. I’m still not sure what dream he was having but I do not feel like having a repeat performance. I’m going to go take a nice hot shower while you make us some wonderful breakfast.” Winking at her husband and giving him a quick kiss to the cheek, she left to go to the attached master bathroom.

Realizing too late that he did not get off without consequence for waking his wife up early, Will slowly got out of bed and donned his night robe and slippers. Just like every start to his day, he could not help but stop at the mirror on his way out. With a critical gleam in his steely blue eyes, he appraises his jet black, side swept hair. Making sure not a strand was out of place and with a small smile, he makes his way out of his bedroom to his youngest son’s.

Knocking gently on the door, he slowly pushes it open to see his son spread out on the bed like a starfish. Smiling fondly at his son, he quietly moves closer to his bed. One step at a time, drawing him closer and closer until…

“SAM!”

And with a start, his son rolls over quickly and falls out of bed to the sound of his father’s laughter. Still not fully awake, but groggily massaging his behind Sam glares at his father. “Was that truly necessary dad?! You couldn’t have tried to wake me up another way?”

In between gasps of air and eyes alit with mirth, Will could barely reply “Now why would I do that? It’s the start of your winter break and I figured you’d want to come help me make breakfast this morning. I mean, if you don’t want to I guess your mother and I will just enjoy some cinnamon French toast with bacon and sausages all on our own. I’m sure there’s still some frosted corn flakes in the cabinet somewhere.” Without waiting for a response and one final smile at his son, he sped off with a whistling tune on his lips out of Sam’s bedroom to begin making breakfast.

After a few moments, Sam finally processed what his dad was saying and quickly forgot about his anger. After standing and running out of his room to catch up with his dad, his stomach grumbled as his mouth watered just thinking of his dad’s famous French toast. Sam flew through the hall and descended the staircase at the end, to the first floor where he then took a left to make his way toward the kitchen and this morning’s paradise.

As he entered the kitchen, he saw his dad had already gathered all the necessary ingredients for breakfast. With a smirk tossed in Sam’s direction at the state of his clothes and hair, Will began the task of whipping up the egg concoction for the toast while Sam went to wash his hands.

“You don’t normally make breakfast for us this early dad, why the sudden change?”

Sam jumped as he heard his mom say, “That’s because your darling father decided to sneeze loudly in my ear today as a lovely wake up call. As such, he offered to make breakfast as a means to distract me from having to be up so early when we all could still be sleeping.”

She came over to give Sam a hug and kiss upon his forehead, trying to smooth his hair down from its bedhead display. She then went to get the orange juice and milk from the fridge and began to set the table for breakfast. “Are you looking forward to Ben coming home?”

Sam enthusiastically nodded his head, he could not wait for his big brother to come home. It got lonely during the night when his parents were busy and he could not spend time with Ben. They had a lot to catch up on after all. “I thought Ben should have come home last night. I mean wouldn’t it have made more sense to come in last night and sleep late-“

Before Sam could finish asking his parents about his brother, a chime resounded throughout the home, signaling a familial portkey being used and announcing the arrival of Ben. Forgetting about helping his dad prepare the French toast, Sam bolted to the foyer and caught sight of him. It has been 6 months since he had last seen his confidant and he could not help but throw himself at his brother with arms wide open.

And with a groan and a slight stumble, Ben caught Sam and spun him around to the sounds of his brother’s infectious laughter. It has been too long since he was with family, and everything that had him off kilter while in England finally settled as soon as the magic of his home welcomed him.

“Well I should have expected this kind of welcome, but is that French toast I smell? I am so glad I didn’t miss breakfast, I am famished.” Ben stated as he directed his dazzling smile at his brother in his arms. “Come on Ben, let’s head back to the kitchen.”

Moving Sam from his arms to his back, he walked to the kitchen and relieved his load to the nearest stool. “Morning, mother. Father. I have missed you all. Did you plan this breakfast just for me?”

With a sheepish glance to his wife, Will cheekily told him “I want to say yes that this was planned just for you, however I would then be dealt another punishment by your mom if I were to lie and I’d rather not have to deal with that.”

With a shake of her head, and a light slap to Will’s arm, Gwen walked towards her eldest and gathered him up in a bear hug. “I am so glad you are home, we have missed you greatly son. Now, while we finish up breakfast why don’t you go put your things away in your room and take your brother with you.”

“Alright, let’s go champ. We know when we’re not needed in the kitchen. Help me with my stuff and we’ll catch up before we eat.” Heading out of the kitchen with Sam trailing behind him, Ben just gazes lovingly around his childhood home. As he walks on autopilot to the third floor, he asks Sam “So, how has school been? I’m sorry we have not been able to talk as much as we used to, but I’m here now so spill.”

“School is great Ben. Our school has been entered into a scholastic competition. All the schools in Boston compete in a scholastic decathlon of various subjects. We have to focus on history, geography, math, science, and spelling. My friend Matt got selected for science and I got math. It’s been fun training for it at school. Mr. Byrne has actually been our advisor for all the subjects. He actually knows quite a bit for each subject other than just English.”

“I’m not surprised Sam. A lot of the teachers over in England seem to be quite adept at numerous subjects other than their own. It’s actually expected in the school where I’m teaching that we all help students when they request help with their subjects. If their teacher is not available at the time but another teacher is, we take it upon ourselves to help them to the best of our ability. If, for some reason, we are unable to help then we will address it with their teacher so they can go over it more in class or provide some extra work for them to learn. It’s actually a pretty great system, especially for some students who are shy in class and only trust a few teachers.”

Once Ben entered his room, he couldn’t help but glance around. It looked so empty compared to before he left. However, his bed was unmade for some reason. “Sam, have you been hanging out in my room while I’ve been gone?” Turning around to his brother, he saw a sheepish smile.

“Sorry, but some nights were just lonelier than others. I came in to your room and just cuddled up in your bed, especially during the few lightning storms we had. You weren’t here, but your bed still smelled like you so I thought I’d be safe.”

Knowing how embarrassed Sam could get, Ben just drew him into a hug with a kiss to the top of his head. “It’s alright you know. I don’t mind you sleeping in my room. How about tonight, we have a sleep over before we go to New York tomorrow? Now, before we head downstairs I actually wanted to talk to you about something. I have Harry’s letter here for you, how is it going with him?”

_I promised Harry I wouldn’t tell Ben, but I know that I should. But then again, it’s only an assumption at this point that his home life is not good. I haven’t actually heard from Harry that it’s bad. Maybe for now, I won’t tell anyone. At least, until I read Harry’s next letter. If the letter provides any insight that something is off, then I will ask someone for help._ Sam looked at his brother after he decided and said, “Everything has been going well with him. We’ve mainly been talking about small things here and there. What are our likes, dislikes, favorite subjects at school. Things like that. Why, what’s up?”

Ben looked at his brother and just shook his head. “Nothing Sam, was just curious what you guys talked about. I mean we know who he is, but he is just so different than what we’ve been told. Never mind. Don’t worry about it. Here’s his letter. Just read it later on and let’s head back down for breakfast.”

And with the end of that topic, Sam and Ben headed back down to the kitchen and the mouth-watering smells of their dad’s French toast.

“I have missed your cooking dad. Whenever I try to make the same food, I always manage to burn it.”

“It just takes years of practice son. I’m sure you’ll get it eventually, but then again you may just end up setting your kitchen ablaze. Continue on at your own risk.” Will said with a wink to his son. “Now, how has England been treating you? Did you go to any historic sites?”

“England has been great dad. During the summer, I was able to go to Stonehenge. The feeling of ancient magic there was amazing. My body felt alive, I don’t think I could stay there for long with that feeling, but it felt right. After that, I went back to London to try to see what Diagon Alley was like. It was so different than our own Pemberton Place. When I first visited Diagon Alley, it was just tiny. However, the second time I visited, new pathways seemed to open up. I had to ask someone, and it seems the alley is charmed to only allow muggleborns and first time visitors entrance to the main part of Diagon Alley. It was the most bizarre thing, do you think it has to do with their prejudices over there? Anyways, I mainly spent time in muggle London with the other teachers.”

“The English certainly are still obsessed with pureblood superiority. Over the past 5 years, there has been more talk of trying to change laws to be more accommodating to muggleborns, but from what I have heard it is at the expense of tradition. They have not been able to find any common ground with Dumbledore advocating for laxer laws surrounding muggles and muggleborns, while his opponents are still in the majority and turning down every piece of legislature he is putting through. Anyways, how about we finish up breakfast and then go outside for a while. We still have plenty of time to catch up over winter break.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
After dinner, Ben finally gathered his wits about him to talk to his father about what has been bothering him while in England. “Dad, can I talk to you for a bit in your study?”

Giving his son a once over, Will merely nods and starts to make his way toward the study. Passing over the threshold, Ben can’t help but admire his dad’s study. It is filled to the brim with books ranging from Mediwizadry for Aurors in the Field to the history of every law passed with the Magical Congress. To say that his father was anything but a vacuum of knowledge would be an insult to his bookworm tendencies. Startling at his father’s cough, Ben shoots him a sheepish smile.

“What did you need to talk about Ben?”

Trying to think about the best way to start this conversation, Ben decided to just be blunt. “I’m worried about Harry dad. He’s just so different than what I expected after everything that has been told to the public. He is nothing like what they described. It’s like…”

Ben was at a loss on how to best describe Harry. Trying to put into words to describe the sad look in his eyes, the disheveled appearance of his clothes, his broken glasses. Everything screamed to Ben that nothing was alright in Harry’s life outside of school. Even there, he has heard an abundance of bad tales. Harry is seen as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. While he is in class, he is shy and almost forgotten about. However, once he gets to the playground he is a terror. At least, that is what he is told since Ben has not had recess duty yet.

The only change Ben has experienced was after report cards had gone out. Harry was never one to speak up in class, but every day before that he always had this hidden spark of interest in his eyes for learning. He was the quickest to learn how to properly write a letter, always managed to finish his school work while in class, and scored the best on every test they had throughout the term. But, then progress reports came out and his eyes seemed dull and would flinch each time Ben approached him from behind in class. He stopped doing his classwork, he would answer test questions incorrectly by placing them in the wrong spot. The Harry he had gotten to know, was now some new entity and it was breaking Ben’s heart the more he reflected on the end of term.

“Ben?”

Shaking out of his memories, he quickly wiped his eyes and looked at his father. “Sorry dad, just got lost there for a second. Where was I?”

Giving his son a critical glance, “You were going to tell me what it has been like having Harry in your class?”

“Right, he’s just not what I expected dad. I don’t think he’s had the best home life so far. It’s not easy to put it into words for the feeling I get every time I look at him. What do you remember of what has been told to the public about his upbringing?”

“Well, they have said that he’s well taken care of. Plenty of tutors to teach him his lordship duties, wizard history, the usual beginnings of a magical education. I mean, it was a shock to hear when you told us that you had a ‘Harry Potter’ listed as being in your class for this year. But, it does make sense based on who the Potters were as a family. The late James Potter and his wife Lily certainly could have put it in their wills that they wanted him to be educated in a basic muggle education. You know the Potters were a light family and did not hold the same prejudice that the other pureblood families hold. They never did tell us who his guardians were though. Why do you think there’s an issue?”

“You’d have to see him dad. He wears clothes to school that he’s practically drowning in and his glasses have more tape on them than a kindergartner’s arts and crafts project. And then there’s all the conflicting stories each teacher tells. I’ve never even had a parent-teacher conference with his guardians. Any such meeting is always met with the principal. I’m not even sure anyone has met with his guardians before. I’ve tried asking the other teachers, but it’s like they’ve never truly seen Harry. They’ve all just heard stories, like him being found up on the roof of the cafeteria. Do you think you could get in touch with the English DMLE and try to find out some more information about him? Anything at all at this point would help immensely.”

Giving his son a sad look, Will nodded. “I’ll see what I can do. Amelia and I are close since we are both heads of the DMLE in our countries. Now, I think we’ve been gone long enough. Let’s go find your mother and Sam and call it a night. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, lots of relatives to see. Then a few days later we have grandfather's birthday to celebrate, and the following week is the annual Yule Ball. Unfortunately, it is our family’s turn to host it so we will need all our energy for that.”

Ben just nodded to his father, but before he could walk out he was pulled into a bear hug. It wasn’t often that his father showed such affection to Ben anymore, but he couldn’t help but hold on for dear life. Every concern he’s had this past term in England was let go in his father’s arms. He no longer had to hold it in anymore. He could finally confide in someone else who knew of their world. His dad would do everything he could to help. _Hang on Harry. We’ll help you as best as we can, I hope you’re doing well._ And with that, Ben heads out of the study with his father in tow to find the others. Tomorrow would be a new day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. I hope you are all safe and in good health. I am unfortunately essential personnel since I work in the healthcare field. I'm trying to get chapters out and ready once a week. I know I will not always be able to deliver it as I hope to, but I will try my hardest to do as such.
> 
> I wanted to cut this chapter where I did because otherwise it would have taken me a little longer to get the chapter out, and the fact this chapter alone is almost the same size as the first two chapters combined ;).
> 
> Again, there is no beta to bounce my ideas off of or determine if my writing is coherent so I do apologize if you think it's a little haphazard. My friends have been busy as well and unable to read chapters before I can post, so we will all have to make do.
> 
> Any critiques will always been appreciated. There is a story and beginning of a plot happening. I'm sure some of you will be able to question it and notice it for what it is. But it will all become apparent soon.
> 
> Next time, we continue with the Price family and getting ready for their family gathering as well as the Yule ball. Nothing could go wrong at a Yule ball right? ;) Or do we find out what happened with Harry?
> 
> A couple things I question myself on are: is there too much talking and not enough writing? Do you want more information about the Price parents? Is there something that was not told as well as it could so far?
> 
> Anyways, I will catch you all next time. Stay safe.


	5. Dear Sam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I've been working on this quite a bit for the past couple weeks. A lot of it is behind the scenes stuff to really flush out characters and plot lines instead of just a general plot line. But this chapter is definitely a step in the direction I want you to experience.
> 
> It is still a different point of view and we go between a couple in this chapter, but I think with how this has been set up so far it definitely is a story to be told in a couple different perspectives. I hope I am doing it justice and you're still intrigued by it. But, here we go.

Loud. Warm. Home. That is the best way to describe it every time Ben is able to visit their ancestral home in New York to spend time with family for the holidays. The magic of his living family, and the magic imbued in the walls of their home just makes Ben feel safe and content.

The manor is most alive during the holidays: all his younger cousins playing games with each other, his aunts and uncles spending time with his grandparents in the parlor and Ben can usually be found with his other cousins, Mary and Terence, catching up.

However, this year was going to be a little different than normal for the Price family. This year, their grandfather turns 100 and to celebrate, there will be a full gathering of the entire family for a yule celebration to bring in the new year. For the week leading up to the Yule celebration will be spent with the immediate families: Price, Jennings, Bennett, and Young. Normally it is just these 4 families spending two weeks in the Price ancestral home, unfortunately it will be encroached upon by the branch families for New Years this year.

“Mary! Terry!” shouted Ben as soon as he saw his cousins and walked quickly over to them. It had been far too long since they had last spent time together. “How are you both doing? What have you been up to while I’ve been away?”

Mary pulled Ben into a bear hug and replied as they let go, “Everything has been going well for me. I passed the bar a couple months ago and now I am just job hunting. Still have not decided if I want to work for the Congress or a private practice. I’m leaning towards working for the Congress based on the work mom does with children, but I’m not sure yet.”

“Whatever you decide Mary, I’m sure you will do amazing things. What about you Terry, have you come across any amazing animals?” Ben asked as he pulled Terry into a bro-hug.

“There hasn’t been anything crazy yet. I’m only in my second year as an apprentice and still learning more on the common animals. If you ever get a crup, rat, owl, or a kneazle, I can definitely help you out. But we don’t start to branch out to bigger and wilder animals for another year. I am definitely looking forward to learning more to help them, but I just hope they’re well taken care of and not abused. More often than not, we see all these majestic creatures who were given to people who have no idea how to care for them and only wanted them to show off. But hey, I’m surprised that you seem to be missing your shadow. You were over in England for the past 6 months, I figured your shadow would not let you out of his sight for these next two weeks.”

Ben just gives a weary sigh and shakes his head and hunches his shoulders as he replies, “I’m not sure what’s up with him right now. Yesterday was great to spend time with him and my parents, but for some reason he was withdrawn today. I’m assuming it has something to do with his pen-pal and his home life. But, Sam won’t tell me anything even when I ask. I’m worried about my student, but I can’t break his trust by forcing Sam to tell me anything. If he comes to either of you can you hear him out and not ask too many invasive questions about who his pen-pal is? If I can’t help, I really hope someone in our family can help him.”

“Oh Ben! Of course we will. Do you think your student is being abused at home? Can you at least tell us if he’s a No-maj or not? If he is magical, can’t you go to the British Ministry to ask them to do a home visit? But, wait if he’s magical and at a No-maj school why haven’t they already gone to visit him in the first place? Is it different in England from over here? It’s one of the reasons I’m leaning more towards working for the Congress to help abused New-maj.”

“Mary, breathe. I can only answer so many questions at once. Yes, I do think he’s being abused at home. And well, yes he’s magical but I can’t go to the Ministry and ask them to do a home visit. There’s a lot more in play than him just being magical, but I can’t elaborate more than that. He’s still a child and it wouldn’t be right for me to tell you about him. Not yet at least.”

“That’s alright Ben. We will be here if you need to talk or vent about the situation. But how about Mary and I go grab us some butterbeers and meet you in the parlor to relax near Papa? I know he’s been waiting to see you. You’re the wayward heir after all.” Terry jokes to Ben as he nudges him towards the parlor.

“Alright, alright, alright. I get it, it’s way too early for anything heavy. It’s just the start of our celebration. I’ll go ahead and see you guys there in a little.”  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exhausted is about the only word that can describe what Sam is feeling. Mentally and physically exhausted. Yesterday was the best day he’s had in awhile. Ben had come home from England and they got to catch up and play board games.

However, Sam couldn’t go to bed until he read Harry’s letter. After he read it, he immediately regretted doing it right before bed. He was tossing and turning all night with various nightmares and feeling saddened for his friend. _How am I supposed to get through and enjoy the holidays while Harry is stuck in England?! I wish we could have gotten him to spend the holidays with us._

“..am. SAM!”

Sam was startled out of his thoughts when his name was shouted and a racing blue blur barreled into him and brought them both to the ground. Trying to gather his wits, Sam finally notices it’s his cousin. “Leo, did you really have to tackle me to the ground? Couldn’t you have just gathered me up in a bear hug instead? It would have been a lot less painful for the both of us."

Looking a little embarrassed but with a blinding smile, Leo replies “Sorry Sam, but you weren’t paying attention to me when I was first calling out your name and it just seemed like it would be more fun to tackle you. I’ve missed you. It’s only you and me left to start at Ilvermony next year and it’s been lonely without anyone around.”

“Alright, I’m sorry Leo. It’s been lonely for me too and I totally get it. But you still could have just hugged me instead.” Ben grumbles at his cousin, but his smile easily dissuades Leo from knowing he’s really angry. “Where’s everyone else? Aren’t you all usually playing exploding snap or chess by now?”

Leo pouts at Sam before answering, “Well, Alex and Daisy already started a game and wouldn’t include me. Sandra and Charlotte are busy looking at the new Witch Weekly magazine that came out and fawning over that idiot Lockhart. Erik is busy trying to figure out how to charm a chess set to animate into different forms when they go to move and attack other pieces. And Darren is reading another boring history book. But now you’re here. Want to go play a game?”

“I’m sorry Leo, but I really need to find Auntie Lulu first. I want to ask her something about healing children’s magic. Do you know if she’s with all the other adults?”

“Last I saw her, she was in the kitchen getting some snacks ready for us. But, as soon as you’re done with her I am claiming you as my gobstone partner. And we’re going to play so many games until dinner that you will be yelled at for not taking a shower before sitting down. And then we’ll play so much exploding snap until bedtime that you will not be able to hear a thing until morning. We have a lot of cousin bonding to do after all.”

“Alright Leo, that sounds great. I will see you in a little bit.” And with that, Sam walks off towards the kitchen looking for his aunt. _I really hope she can help, but how can I ask her about Harry, without saying too much?_

Looking around the kitchen, Sam spots Lulu at the fridge and the various house elves getting lunch ready. “Auntie Lulu, can I ask you some questions?”

Glancing at her nephew and seeing him fidgeting a little, Lulu replies “Sure Sammy. Do you want to talk here in the kitchen or somewhere a little more private?”

“Can we go somewhere else, I don’t really want anyone else to overhear us when they come in looking for a snack. I just have some questions about magic.”

Lulu and Sam leave the kitchen to the house elves, and make their way further into the manor. They pass at least 10 doors before they come across the summer den. It’s a little chilly since it’s not often used in the winter, but it has a great view of the grounds and retains heat well enough from the sun. Lulu goes to sit down on a couch and pats the spot next to her for Sam to cuddle into her side.

“Alright Sam, what is on your mind?”

“Auntie, is a healer really all that different in their approach when helping kids versus when helping adults?”

Looking at Sam contemplatively, she slowly answers, “Yes it is pretty different. A lot of my patients have to be handled delicately. As you know, I usually help New-maj and half-blood wizards when they first start at Ilvermony.”

“Why do you help New-maj and half-blood wizards more often than pure-blood wizards?”

“That’s a little harder to explain to you Sammy. You’re still young, but since you’re asking I can go into some detail about my patient cases. Ok, so you know how you were raised with a training wand and encouraged to control your accidental magic to do something intended instead of in random bouts of emotional outbursts?”

At Sam’s nod, she continues “Well the reason for that is it has been proven that magical children who begin controlling their magic before the winter solstice before their 11th birthday are able to adjust to the power boost with minimal outbursts during the solstice. Now, the issue we come across with New-maj is that they have not been brought up to train their magic. Before their 11th birthday, they normally do not have enough magic in their system to cause any serious harm on the solstice until they actually get their power boost. On the rare occasion, we are called in sooner for children who experience massive bursts of accidental magic at a younger age and require being taught control so they don’t cause any harm before their 11th birthday.”

“Ok, I get that Auntie. Now, what would happen if a child was being abused at home? Would that affect their power boost on the solstice? Is there any way to stop them from getting hurt? Or, is there a time frame to get them help after the solstice to ensure they are okay?”

“Well, what we have experienced from all magical children is that generally their magical cores contain the same amount of magic as each other; and if they have not been taught control before the solstice it will still usually go smoothly. However, when we have had to step in to help abused children, they have a bigger core than most 10 year olds. What we can infer, their core is constantly being drained, healing themselves from the abuse they received and slowly increasing their core’s size. With their increased core size and lack of control, we usually place the children into a magical coma for the solstice and monitor their levels and drain it into a runestone. If we are unable to get to a child before the solstice, there is usually still time to help them drain the excess magic from their system before they are hurt. However, the time frame varies from child to child. Now, I have to ask Sammy. Is everything ok at home? Or is it a friend you’re worried about?”

“Oh no, I’m fine Auntie. I’m just..I don’t know what I should do. I promised my friend to not tell my brother, but he didn’t say anything about any other adult. However, I’m not sure if he’ll be upset with me because I told anyone at all. I just, I don’t know how I can help him and it hurts Auntie! He’s a friend I made from the beginning of the school year and, well he’s my pen-pal in Ben’s class. We have been exchanging letters and I consider him a close friend. I have all of the letters he has written me, but the most recent one I got is the one that has me most concerned. He finally told me about his home life, well at least in tiny bits here and there in the letter. But, here Auntie I think you should read the most recent letter.”

With shaking hands, Sam holds out Harry’s letter to his Aunt and waits for her to finish reading the letter.

Dear Sam, 12/20/2010

This is probably going to be the longest letter I’ve written yet. It has been instilled into me to not talk about my home life or get noticed when out in public. But you really are the first friend I’ve ever made Sam. I can’t keep it from you anymore, but please do not share it with Mr. Price. Once he knows, he’ll look at me differently. I fear he’ll become just like all the other teachers and treat me as if I’m on the edge of doing something horrible.

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a big family. What’s it like to visit New York and spend time with your family? How big is your family? What do you guys do for a yearly family gathering? It’s only my aunt, uncle, cousin, and myself as you know. Sometimes my uncle’s sister visits with her dog, Ripper. I try to stay as far away as possible from him. One year for Christmas, she gave me a dog bone as a gift and her dog actually chased me all around the yard until I dropped it and climbed a tree. Every time I tried to climb down, he would snarl and bark at me before going back to chewing on his bone. I had to stay out there until he was called in close to my bedtime. I got into so much trouble for not cooking dinner for everyone.

I’ve been cooking for my family ever since I could remember. One of my earliest memories is of me cooking breakfast while standing on a step stool. I lost my balance and dropped the frying pan. The bacon and sausage grease went all over the kitchen floor and my body. It had hurt so much, but not nearly as much as when my aunt hit me over the head with the pan and sent me to my cupboard. I learned to be more careful after that. Well, at least I learned to not yell out and clean it quickly and quietly before anyone noticed.

Everything is fine at home, it’s all I’ve ever known. I don’t get to make friends at school or go play at anyone else’s house. This is normal, isn’t it? My family goes off on vacations or celebrates birthdays while I go to our neighbor’s house. Her name is Mrs. Figg and she owns a LOT of cats. And when I say a lot, I mean a lot. Last I knew, there were like 20 cats living in her house. I’m not even sure if she realizes when she gets a new cat because they seem to just show up randomly.

During recess, I’m usually the subject of Dudley and his gang’s game. Their favorite game is called “Harry Hunting”. They all split up and try to find where I am currently hiding and then surround me and usually make fun of me. Sometimes it gets physical, but the teacher’s tend to pretend to not notice it. It’s “just Harry” being a menace. I’m not sure what my aunt and uncle have exactly told the teachers and principle, but until Mr. Price started teaching this year every other teacher looked at me warily as if I was going to do something horrible. As for the students, no one stands up to Dudley. No one. The last one to try to stand up to Dudley quickly gave up. They realized they would be tormented along with me, so I am just left to deal with it by myself. It used to be tolerable when I could hang out in the library, but it seems to have gotten worse this year. But it’s ok Sam. I have you as a friend and it’s honestly all I need. Well, I mean...as long as you want to still be friends after you learn more about me.

If you still consider me a friend, please don’t tell Mr. Price. I cannot go to him for help. If I went to him for help, I’d have to explain why my access was revoked and what is going on at recess. That would then get Dudley in trouble, and getting Dudley in trouble means I would get in trouble at home for getting Dudley in trouble and being noticed. I already got in trouble earlier this term and had to stay home sick from school after progress reports came out. Uncle Vernon was yelling at me...among other things, for being noticed and making Dudley look bad in English class. Please don’t tell Mr. Price about it. He’s the only teacher who has actually shown that he seems to care about me, and I fear what will happen if he finds out that him caring hurts me more than it helps. You can’t tell him Sam. Please?

Anyways, winter break is going to be the same for me as always. The only real difference is the length of time I will be spending away from my family. My uncle was gifted a vacation deal from a business contact for two adults and one child to go on a cruise in the Mediterranean Sea. So of course I’m going to have to go to Mrs. Figg’s to spend my vacation with her. But my family? They’re going to be gone for almost 2 weeks! They’re starting their cruise in Vienna and will travel along the eastern edge of the sea all the way down to Athens. I’m jealous of all the sights Dudley will get to see and not appreciate, but it will be great to not be near them every day of break. I don’t have to do any chores for Mrs. Figg, other than to help her care for her cats. But nothing like what I would do at home, like cooking every meal, cleaning every room, doing the laundry, shoveling the driveway, gardening, and anything else they decide to have me do.

I hope you have a great winter break Sam! I cannot wait to hear what you did with your family. I hope you get everything you could ever want for Christmas. Happy Christmas Sam.

Forever your friend,

Harry

Sam watched his Aunt as she read the letter. He had never seen her have tears in her eyes, even when she would recall situations her patients have been involved in. “Auntie, what can we do? Can we even do anything from over here to help Harry? I promised him I wouldn’t tell Ben, but I can’t NOT do something to help him.”

Lulu just looks at Sam sadly, while shakily breathing out a puff of air. “There’s not a lot we can do from here Sammy. He has to be helped from the English Ministry if we’re to do anything. Do we know anything more about his relatives? Do we have a last name or where he lives? If we want to do this properly, we should ask Ben. He would at least be able to give us and the ministry all the information we need.”

Shaking his head vehemently with tears in his eyes, “We can’t Auntie. I don’t think Harry has ever been able to truly trust anyone. Everyone that is supposed to take care of him seems to treat him like he’s a lost cause. From what little he’s said, it seems he gets beaten and ignored at home and sometimes even at school. I don’t know if I would even have the strength to carry on everyday like he does. He’s so strong Auntie, but he’s so lonely. I don’t want to betray his trust, there has to be something.”

His aunt just wraps her arms around Sam and slowly strokes his hair. “It’s ok Sammy, we will do everything we can. How about we ask your Dad to reach out to the DMLE head over in England and see if we can at least find out who is his appointed magical guardian. They would be the next one in line to be able to care for Harry, but it would at least get him away from his relatives.”

Sniffling into his aunt’s blouse, Sammy blearily looks up at her. “Do you think we can do that? Will we actually be able to do something with that information to help Harry? Can we do it as soon as possible? I’m not sure if Harry is going to even have a good Christmas and he deserves to have a great one.”

“Alright Sam. I’ll talk to your father later tonight when everyone is getting ready for bed. In the meantime, let’s go wash up before lunch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry, but we had to keep the cliff hangers going. I promise, next chapter we will definitely see some of Harry among other things but I wanted to build the suspense just a little more. I wonder if you guys are able to infer anything from the past few chapters or I can surprise you in all new ways. Would you be interested in background information on the Price Family? The world I'm building? Or do you want to see it in snippets as they become relevant to the story like I tried to do for this chapter? Is there going to be tension during the Yule Ball? Can Will do anything with British Ministry without causing more trouble for Harry than can be handled? How will he go about it, if at all? We will find out next chapter. In the mean time, I hope you all have wonderful holidays and you're all happy and healthy.
> 
> Until next time :-D


	6. What happened to Harry Potter?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning everyone, I hope you are having a wonderful lead up to Christmas this Friday (for those who celebrate it). Otherwise, I hope your holidays are going well for you.
> 
> I wanted to get a chapter out for you guys as a Christmas gift, and the fact my muse came back for a little bit. However, I may need a little help with this chapter. The idea is there for me, but it feels like something is off in this chapter. I may need to revise it and I will certainly let you know, like I did when I swapped chapters 3 and 4, if there is any update to it before the next chapter comes out.  
> \-------------------------------------------------------

_Pain. Indescribable pain. Tight. Can’t move. Is there something broken? Did Vernon...wait he’s supposed to be in Austria about now_ , thought Harry. _They sent me to stay with Mrs. Figg...FIGG!_

Realizing with a start what had happened at her house, Harry tried to sit upright as his eyes flew open. Why couldn’t Harry move at all? Were those ropes tying him to something? Trying to focus his gaze on his surroundings, Harry moved his head around as much as he could. He could see that he was outside and it was dark with the full moon and stars shining. But oddly enough, he was surrounded by various stones arranged in a weird way. It looked like each stone was set up as a doorway towards him, where it seemed he was laying atop a dais and restricted by many black ropes.

The area looks familiar to Harry, as if he learned about it somewhere. But how in the world did he get here? Last thing he could remember was seeing a bright green light in the hallway, hearing a thud, jumping to his feet and dropping his uneaten cake before everything went dark.

Harry tries to wrap his mind around what he could remember and the fact he is currently out in the middle of winter, without a jacket, and not feeling the cold. Who did Mrs. Figg see at the front door? Who knocked Harry out?

All of a sudden, Harry is brought back to reality when he hears the crunching of gravel nearby. Trying to make it seem like he is still unconscious, Harry steadies his breathing and closes his eyes.

“Is everything all set for the ritual?” A high-pitched and nasally voice asked near Harry’s right side, right before the ropes holding him down tightened just a bit.

“Of course everything is all set. You make it seem like we’ve never done this before.” A gruff and deep voice responded from Harry’s left side.

“Fine, but where is Isabella? She should have finished up by now to ensure no one would be able to tie it back to us magically.”

Harry barely suppressed a gasp as he heard that. _Magic? But that’s not real. What are these two talking about?_

“She’ll probably be here in about ten minutes. She had to make sure the Dursley’s home had no residual magic surrounding it. Had to make it seem like the freak never lived there before. Muggles are useless and they won’t care what happened to him. But if any wizards were to investigate, they could surely find his trace. Have to clear it now before anyone is made the wiser.”

“Fine, but you have no idea what it has been like for the past 10 years. Having to watch that house and the thief. His magic never should have been allowed to manifest. But finally, I will be able to rejoin you and my family as a full blown witch. What better magical line to purify than his to match our worth in America?”

The more the nasally voice spoke, the more Harry tried to remember where he had heard her voice before. It was right on the tip of his tongue, but he just could not place it. As he tried to focus on his memory, he heard a loud crack in the distance and more gravel crunching.

“Ah, finally Isabella. Is everything finished in Surrey? Can we finally say goodbye to England and go back home to America?” nasal voice asked of the newest person in the clearing.

“Everything went off without a hitch. All we have to do is set up for this final ritual and the most tainted magic will be purified back to a proper magical line. Are you all set for the ritual Callista?”

“We are all set here.” Gruff voice answered instead, causing Harry to flinch at how close that they sounded and the puff of air that blew on his ear. “Now we know you’re awake, freak. This is always so much more fun when you’re awake and aware of what is going on around you. Hearing your screams throughout the night. Now, be a good boy and open your eyes.”

Breathing quickly with his heart pounding, Harry finally opens his eyes again to see who is surrounding him. He first notices the man who was just breathing into his ear. He couldn’t help but notice the scar that ran down his face from his forehead, past his left eye and finishing at his chin. He was bald, with a short boxed beard as dark as the clothing he was wearing. He had on a pair of leather finger-less gloves and a pitch black...dress? Gown? Not sure what he should call it, but it was devoid of all color and light. If the stars and moon were not shining as brightly as they were, Harry doubted he would be able to see this man except for the glint of his obscenely white teeth. Despite his smile, it never reached his brown eyes. His eyes were glinting with something sinister and Harry could not help but stare at him.

“Come now Grayson, don’t hog the boy’s attention. Let me revel in his fear as well.” Isabella stated as she gripped Harry’s chin to turn him towards her. Her smile was not as bright as Grayson’s, but it seemed deadlier. Her piercing blue eyes were crinkled in mirth, but a kind of feral amusement. Her eyes were roving over Harry’s face while she tossed her black curls over her shoulder to give Harry her full attention. Harry couldn’t help but gulp at the gleam in her eyes. He had to turn away from her because he felt naked under her stare and something bad was going to happen.

Quickly turning his head, Harry couldn’t help but scream as he fully focused on the final person in the clearing. She looked the same and yet so different from every time Harry has seen her over the years. “Mrs. Figg?! What is going on? Where are we? Who are these people? Why did they call you Callista? I thought your first name was Arabella?” Harry started to breathe quickly as he began to hyperventilate seeing Mrs. Figg there with the other adults. Why did she have the same look as the other two, as if Harry was something repulsive yet delicious?

Looking at Harry with a vindictive gleam, Callista responds “Hello Harry. Glad to see you’re finally awake. We have quite the party planned for you tonight. Have you not learned of this place at school? It makes sense if the school is so bad that they still have yet to fail that whale of a cousin of yours out of it. We’re currently at Stonehenge. It’s quite the magical place for all rituals, especially on a night such as this. It only happens every 19 years or so, a full moon during the winter solstice. It is quite the magical beginning to a new year. Renewing the seasons and regenerating the magical energy of our world. It is a glorious time for us Harry, well not so much for you. These two are my friends and confidants and will be assisting me in this ritual.”

_No, magic is not real! Vernon and Petunia hit me every time someone mentioned the word magic. This is not happening. This is just a nightmare and when I actually wake up, I’ll be back in my cupboard waiting to start the day cooking for my...family._

“Ooooo, just look at the terror in his eyes everyone. This is the best part of the night, when the thieves start to believe this is a nightmare instead of reality. Don’t you just love feeling the fear they’re experiencing?” Cackled Isabella as she got close to Harry’s face and stared into his eyes.

“It’s my first time experiencing the ritual myself, but it is certainly an amazing feeling. My actual name Harry, is Callista Yaxley. Arabella Figg was just an alias to get close to you. We have been watching you for the past 9 years. It has been really hard to not try to abduct you earlier than this year. But we had to make sure it was done properly on the solstice before your 11th birthday. This timing is to ensure the magic is at its most potent strength for the ritual to succeed as is pulses off of you.”

“M-m-m-magic’s not real though. Wh-wh-wh-why are you doing this to me?” Harry stuttered out as much as he could while still trying to control his breathing.

“You’re a wizard, thief. You were born to a traitorous pure-blood, James Potter and his mudblood whore, Lily Evans. Potter tainted his magical bloodline with that mudblood. We are just a part of a group who take it upon ourselves to purify the magic from the impure to proper pure-blood lines that have somehow produced Squib children. Your magic should not exist. You stole it from those who truly deserved it. And now, tonight, it will return to where it belongs. I will be able to return home to America, since my current job will be done tonight upon your death. The boy-who-lived is nothing but a thief and will perish at the hand of the proud and honorable Yaxley Line. Are you both ready to proceed?”

Harry couldn’t focus anymore on anything that was happening around him. His heart was racing uncontrollably. _A wizard?! No, that can’t be right. Even though that’s what they’re telling me, this has to be a nightmare._

As Harry is freaking out, Isabella, Grayson, and Callista get the rest of the ritual circle ready with Harry in the middle. Runes are drawn on Callista and Harry to allow for the transference of magic from the thief to Callista. Each rune is lined with Harry’s blood on Callista, and Callista’s on Harry. There could be nothing between the two to restrict the magical tether they would be creating during the ritual. No rune could be drawn incorrectly.

“Now, you’re sure he imbibed all of the potion required for this ritual? I know we came a little earlier than intended, but we had to do it quickly.” Grayson asked Callista as he finished tightening the ropes around Harry’s ankles.

“Yes, I’m sure he took it all. He’s never not eaten everything while at my house since he was always starved with those pathetic muggles. Everything will be fine. Just look at him, he is absolutely terrified and that helps to improve the effects of this ritual. You both have to time this perfectly for the incantation. We have only a few minutes left before we need to start. Are you both set to go?”

Receiving a nod in return from her companions, Callista grasps Harry’s right arm tightly. “Alright thief, you will shortly feel a pulse throughout your body to indicate the start of your magical core’s growth during the solstice. At that moment, we will begin our ritual and have fun. Aren’t you just looking forward to it?”

Harry could do nothing but close his eyes as he tried to hold back his tears. He was going to die tonight and he couldn’t even say goodbye to Sam or Mr. Price. _I hope nothing bad happens to them and they aren’t upset with my death. Will they even know what happened to me? What will the Dursley’s even say?_

All of a sudden, Harry took a sharp inhale of breath as his body started to tingle all over. It was weird, he had only felt like this once before and that was after his uncle had broken his arm in two places. It had felt like his arm was suspended in the air when he had to lay down in his cupboard and unable to put any pressure on it before he passed out. But this feeling, it was encompassing his entire body. He could barely hear the sounds around him. He knew Isabella and Grayson were speaking in a weird language while Mrs. Figg continued to grip his arm tightly.

Harry started to feel hot at the tips of his toes. The feeling just kept climbing up his body as he screamed out his pain. It felt like every nerve was on fire and any contact would make it worse. He was screaming himself hoarse as his eyes were tightly shut. The pain grew to be unbearable when it reached his neck. If he could have, he would have held his hands to his head. It felt like a stabbing pain was coming out of his forehead. He had never felt anything more painful than this. It was as if something was trying to claw its way out of his forehead and explode everywhere.

“What the hell is happening? Why is he burning up and his body shining so brightly? This wasn’t how it was described in the book! What did you two do? Did you mess up the incantation?” Callista screamed at her partners. She couldn’t tear her hand away from Harry, it was like she was magically stuck to his arm. His entire body was starting to glow brightly, while there was a darkness centering on his forehead.

Neither Grayson nor Isabella had any idea what was going on. They have performed this ritual dozens of times before. Usually the thief would start to grow darker and darker as their magic left them into the proper vessel. This had never happened before. As soon as they finished the incantation, it should have started the power transference and lasted for at least an hour, depending on how much magic was being transferred. However, once they stopped chanting he started glowing from his feet and it continued up his body until he started screaming.

They had never heard such a wailing screech as they currently heard coming both from Harry and from somewhere else. What could they do? They too were stuck standing exactly where they were near Harry’s side.

Suddenly, a beam of light shot out of Harry and attached first to Callista, then Isabella, and finally Grayson. Each beam started to oscillate from the adult and travel back toward Harry. It felt like something was draining them while Harry started to shine far too brightly to keep watching them.

“Callista, take your hand off of him. Maybe that will cut the flow of magic!” Isabella cried out frantically.

“I can’t. I’m stuck holding his arm. Why does it feel like I’m getting weaker?”

“I am too. I don’t know how much longer I can stay awake. Something went wrong!” Grayson rasped out as he started to lose his breath.

“We’re not going to…”

All of a sudden, Harry stopped screaming and a burst of magical energy exploded out of him in a blinding flash of light and a resounding crack. Upwards and outwards, his magical energy dispersed over the clearing and continued on for miles. As quickly as the burst started, it disappeared and left behind nothing but darkness and scorch marks. All that was left behind were Mrs. Figg’s glasses, Harry’s glasses, and Grayson’s gloves.

\----------

“Where are we on the missing person’s case from last night?” Captain Jenkins asked officers Davies and Edwards.

“We followed up with the neighbor, Ms. Jones. She told us that Mrs. Figg only interacts with her cats and the Dursley’s in Little Whinging. If anyone was over at her house last night with her, it would have been the nephew of the Dursley’s. It seems he tends to stay there during school breaks and such. We were going to follow up with the Dursley’s neighbors this morning and were just about to head out.” Davies responded while receiving a nod from Edwards to confirm it was the plan.

“Alright, I want a follow up as soon as you can. Something went down last night and if there is a child missing, we need to find him as soon as possible.”

“Yes sir!”

Arriving at Number 4 Privet Drive, Edwards walks toward number 6 and Davies heads to number 2 to talk with the neighbors.

After knocking on the door, a middle aged woman opens it and addresses Davies, “Hello? How can I help you today officer?”

“Good morning ma’am. My name is Officer Davies and I’m here to find out some more about the family that lives next door to you, the Dursley’s? Is it alright for me to ask you a few questions?”

“Of course. Are they alright? Are they in trouble?”

“We are currently unsure ma’am. We’re just trying to find out some more information for an ongoing investigation. Now, who exactly lives in the house next door?”

“Well, the Dursley’s live there with their nephew. There’s Petunia, Vernon, Dudley and their delinquent nephew by the name of Harry. Harry Potter. He seems to always be causing trouble for them and barely does his chores correctly when he’s outside. At least according to Petunia whenever she yells at him for ruining her yard.”

“Thank you ma’am. Can you tell me where the Dursley’s currently are and if they happened to take Harry with them?”

“Petunia was telling us about some cruise Vernon was gifted through work from a client. She was going to be sailing down the Mediterranean coast for the next 14 days starting in Vienna and ending in Athens. She didn’t mention the name of the cruise however. But she took her family and most likely dropped the boy off at Mrs. Figg’s down on Wisteria Walk. That is where he usually stays instead of ruining his family’s vacation.”

Davies nods as she writes down the information. “Where does Mr. Dursley work? Can you tell me anything more about Harry? What does he look like? How old is he?”

“Vernon works at Grunnings in town. All we really know about Harry is that he came to live with the Dursley’s when he was younger. His parents passed away in a drunken car crash and they took him in out of the goodness of their hearts. He’s about 4 feet tall, with messy hair as dark as the midnight sky, vibrant green eyes, and wears glasses. He’s a little younger than Dudley, but they are in the same grade at the nearby school. I’m sorry I don’t know much more than that.”

“This is really helpful ma’am. Thank you for your cooperation. Hope you have a wonderful day.” Davies tips her cap and starts to walk away before she’s interrupted and turns to face the woman.

“Is everything really alright? Nothing ever seemed to be ok with that boy over there. Do we have to worry about anything?”

Regarding her closely, Davies just responds “No ma’am. Everything is fine. It was just standard procedure. There is just an ongoing investigation on Mrs. Figg. I’m sure you’ll read about it in the paper soon enough. Again, thank you for your time and have a good day.”

Davies walks back toward the patrol car as she thinks about everything she was just told. Depending on what information Edwards got, they would need to find out more about this cruise the Dursley’s were currently on. And based on the information about Harry so far, it does not seem like a good outcome. He may have snapped on Mrs. Figg and ran away.

Feeling a touch to her shoulder, Davies turns around to find her partner looking at her. “How did it go with your questioning?”

Shaking his head, Edwards responds “It was rather weird. Anytime I brought up the boy, they would just shake their head and mutter under their breath. It seems they were told that he’s a delinquent and always getting his cousin in trouble at school. But, I did find out that the Dursley’s are currently on a cruise named the Eastern Discovery and set sail out of Vienna yesterday. It’s a 14 day cruise that will end in Athens and we probably won’t be able to get in touch with them for at least another week when they dock in Albania.”

“That’s essentially what I got as well. It seems Harry is not well adjusted to society. He kept being referred to as a delinquent and his parents died in a drunken car crash. The name I got was Harry Potter. We may need to look up his family when we get back and give a call to the cruise line. But for now, it seems like we’re just going to have to wait to make sure Harry was at Mrs. Figg’s and put an alert out for him. Maybe we talk to the captain and see if we need a search warrant for the Dursley’s home? You don’t think he would have run back there to hide out after what happened at Mrs. Figg’s?”

“That is as good a plan as we can probably get for now. Let’s head back to the station and talk to the captain. See what he thinks about all of this.” If this is how the start of the investigation was going to go, Edwards could not help but look forward to the upcoming holiday to have a day off. Something just feels off with all of this, but only time will tell how right he is about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no! What happened to Harry and the others? What went wrong? What was that darkness in the middle of the bright light? Will officers Davies and Edwards find out more about Harry's home life? Will they get in touch with the Dursley's sooner than expected when they contact the cruise line? What's happening with the Prices as this is going on?
> 
> Is there too much dialogue lately and not enough description for you guys? Do we want me to be a bit more superfluous in establishing the setting for you?
> 
> Also, it may be a little confusing, but I want to clarify the time frame a little. So far we have a couple different point of views happening. Chapters 3 and 6 happened on the same night/next day for 12/21 and 12/22. Chapters 4 and 5 are also in the same time frame. 12/21 for when Ben returned home and 12/22 when they travel to the Price family home.
> 
> In the next couple of chapters we will touch in more with the Price family and getting everything ready for the birthday celebration and Christmas (12/24 and 12/25). And the following week for the Yule Ball 12/31 into New Year's.
> 
> Would you prefer me to have dates in the chapters or more along the lines of this to tie everything together in the end notes of the chapter? Is there too much side story from unimportant characters? Do you want to see more from the side characters instead of what seems like small snippets? In my head, I have it more planned for the small snippets to keep you update on what is happening on the muggle side while still being told the main story. Do you need more from the muggles or is this enough for you?
> 
> As always, love to hear feedback. I have the story in my head, but I want to make sure it's given justice to express it to all of you. Again, I hope you have a wonderful holiday and until next time. ;)


End file.
